Master Plan - City of Troy

Cultural AmenitiesCultural institutions, like museums andtheaters, must be complemented by a widerappreciation of the importance of cultural life inthe community. As noted earlier in this Chapter,perhaps the most critical thing Troy can do toenhance the cultural life of the City is to providethe venue for cultural life to emerge in smallparks and unprogrammed open spaces.The Task Force most closely examining theissue of cultural facilities or events was the Vision2020 Lifestyles Task Force. This group exploreda number of concepts selected to help Troycontinue to grow into a truly diverse, unique,global community. The Lifestyles Task Forceestablished a direct call for the improvementand encouragement of existing and new culturalfacilities in its “Preferred Future 5” which statesthat “In 2020, Troy is a ‘Gotta Have Art’ typeof place, with opportunities to celebrate andexperience all of the fine arts. This preferredfuture describes potential public spaces toexperience art, and suggests music in the parkevents, theater, a symphony, art galleries, andpublic art as areas of focus.Another important area where the City canbe active in introducing cultural amenitiesis the encouragement of diverse, mixed-usedevelopment. One of the many positiveattributes of mixed-use development, whichwill be explored throughout this MasterPlan, is the creation of new areas for socialinteraction. Rather than isolate homes fromentertainment and dining venues, and separateplaces of work from places of play, mixed-usedevelopment is uniquely capable of creatingenergetic, memorable places where a person canexperience new points of view, witness personalexpression, and enjoy a variety of activitieswith other people. While this can be said formany types of communities, those places wheremixed-use development occurs are more likely tosucceed.Troy is home to several notable formalcultural amenities, and is in a regionfamous for its cultural diversity. Someamenities in the City of Troy itself include:• The Troy Museum and Historic Village,which is intended to encourage handsonlearning, especially on topics relatingto Troy’s heritage. The Museum is alsoresponsible for the preservation ofcultural heritage through physicalstructures, collection of artifacts, andarchival materials. The Museum islocated in the former Troy Township andCity Hall.• The Lloyd A. Stage Nature Center is a100 acre sanctuary with a wide range ofprograms, including school programs.• The Troy Public Library is a popular,award winning facility which providesfree wireless internet service. The TroyPublic Library is #1in Michigan amonglibraries serving populations of 50,000or greater per Hennen’s American PublicLibrary Rating Index.• The Ridgedale Playhouse is home tothe Ridgedale Players, one of the oldestcommunity theaters in Michigan. ThePlayers are in their 75th season.Public ArtThe importance of public art can not beoverstated. Many of the great communities ofthe world are identified by their public worksof art. Public art makes a statement that thecommunity supports the arts, and contributesgreatly to the creation of unique, memorableurban places. The City of Troy can supportpublic art by encouraging private developmentto include public art, by reserving public fundsfor art projects, and by pursuing grants for publicart initiatives.26 CHAPTER 3: QUALITY OF LIFE